Where’s The Money?

April 30, 2008

It seems that with all the talk of online gambling and the responsibilities that they will show if they are allowed to be legal, most of it is just that – talk – and nothing more. Online gambling groups are always saying that they support efforts to help those that might develop an online gambling problem – but it appears that they won’t support it with their checkbook.

According to the Responsibility in Gambling Trust, or RIGT, only 1,000 of 3,200 licensed UK gambling companies donated money to help with the gambling trust. That is only one in three online gambling companies willing to help out.

According to them, the majority of the contributions came from high street betting firms and casino operators, but the smaller companies – like online casinos and bookies, etc. gave almost nothing to the fund. Even with this in mind the trust still thinks that they will reach their goal of £7 million in voluntary contributions by 2010.

Their only concern is that those that have been so generous don’t start feeling taken advantage of. The amount averaged per problem gambler is £14 – which is lower than the amounts averaged in other countries. They say that the number of online gamblers with a problem is continuing to grow and will reach epidemic proportions unless they get help.

The problem is that the majority of online gambling firms have not given anything to the fund, and they are hoping that they will donate it on their own. They say that if they do not start donating to the fund, they will be looking at having to announce a compulsory levy to raise the funds instead.




Back to April 2008 Archive.